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Here’s the Boston Globe blog on the Celtics clearing up an issue that will apparently mostly stay internal:

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said he has cleared the air with point guard Rajon Rondo about his absence from the team trip to Sacramento to remain in Los Angeles and attend a birthday celebration in his honor.

Ainge would not reveal whether Rondo had been disciplined or fined but said the situation has been resolved. Rondo, who was not supposed to play against the Kings, did not travel to Sacramento with his teammates, instead meeting the team in Salt Lake City on Sunday. Rondo has played in the past two games and told reporters his plans were his “business. Not yours.”

“It was between Rondo and I and I learned some things that I didn’t know and we had a lot conversation about it and I’m satisfied with it,” he told the Globe. “He learned from it, too. Let’s move on.”

Here’s the Boston Globe reporting on the Celtics, who have already been facing an uphill battle all season and now get even weaker due to injury:

There was a time where the Celtics’ roster was loaded with players, depth wasn’t an issue for coach Brad Stevens.

Those days are long gone after an eventful Friday at the team’s practice facility, when Stevens revealed that veteran forward Gerald Wallace has a torn meniscus and bone spurs in his ankle and is out for the season.

Team president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed Wallace is out for the season and will need surgery. He has two more years on his contract. Also, Stevens said Vitor Faverani had a second opinion on his sore left knee and may also need surgery, although Ainge said it was “premature” to assume the burly center will miss the rest of the season.

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed guard Chris Babb to a 10-day contract.

Babb, a 6’5” guard was playing for the Celtics’ NBA Development League affiliate, Maine Red Claws where he averaged 12.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.18 steals and 37.5 minutes in 33 games. He is the 26th Gatorade Call-Up this season from the NBA Development League and the third time the Celtics have signed someone from the D-League this season joining Chris Johnson and Vander Blue. Babb was on the Celtics roster during the 2013 preseason where he appeared in five games for the Celtics and averaged 3.2 points in 6.0 minutes per game while shooting 44.4 percent from three-point territory.

In typical Rajon Rondo fashion, the Celtics point guard addressed the media in Boston for the first time since the Boston Herald report claiming he skipped the team’s trip to Sacramento without permission.

What does he make of the media firestorm unleashed after his alleged decision to remain in Los Angeles to celebrate his 28th birthday with friends and family? “I haven’t really read much about it,” he said. “I heard a lot of comments. Nobody knows the story, so you guys keep making up every story you guys possibly can.”

What, exactly, is the story? “It’s my business,” he followed. “It’s not yours.”

Here’s the Boston Herald reporting on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, who doesn’t seem to be acting like much of a team captain right now:

The Celtics are not taking it as a major issue, but the team is still hoping to straighten things out with Rajon Rondo after his decision to stay in Los Angeles and not accompany the team to Sacramento for Saturday’s game.

While some were displeased by the move, for which Rondo did not receive official permission, others pointed out he was not scheduled to play in the game anyway (on the second night of a back-to-back), and that he may have simply been making some assumptions based on precedent. Multiple sources say he remained in LA for a birthday celebration. He turned 28 on Saturday.

The captain didn’t want to get into the matter before last night’s 110-98 loss to the Jazz.

Here’s the Boston Globe blog reporting on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, who gets mentioned in trade rumors around pretty much every trade deadline for years now:

Rondo has said before that he’s intrigued by the free agency process, but he has also said that he doesn’t like change and could see himself staying in Boston for the rest of his career.

As for being mentioned in rumors, Rondo said, “It gets annoying at times. It’s been like that the last eight years, though. It’s what I do for a living. It’s not who I am. I play basketball for a living, for the time being.

“I’ll be 28 (Saturday). I have a long life to live. I have a lot of things going on outside of basketball for me right now and it’s part of what happens when you’re an NBA player. “

In a rebuilding season, Rondo wasn’t the only Celtic who might have been traded, but Rondo said he didn’t notice concern among his teammates.

Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Feb. 3, through Sunday, Feb. 9.

Sullinger helped the Celtics to a 2-1 week, which included wins over the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings. He averaged 20.3 points (13th in the conference), 12.7 rebounds (second in the conference) and 1.67 blocks (fourth in the conference). Sullinger posted a point-rebound double-double in all three games, including a 31-point, 16-rebound effort on Feb. 7, when the Celtics topped the Kings 99-89 at TD Garden.

Durant led the Thunder to a 3-1 week, which included wins over Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks. He averaged 31.8 points (second in the conference), 9.0 assists (second in the conference) and 8.0 rebounds. Durant posted two-double-doubles, including a 41-point, 10-rebound effort in which he added nine assists on Feb. 9, as the Thunder beat the Knicks 112-100, at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have recalled center Vitor Faverani from their NBA Development League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.

Faverani, a 6’11” center, has appeared in three games for the Red Claws this season and has averaged 16.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.33 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game. During his recent assignment Faverani appeared in two games for the Red Claws and recorded 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks against Delaware on January 31 and recorded 20 points, 17 rebounds and six assists against Erie on February 1.

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed guard/forward Chris Johnson to a second 10-day contract.

Johnson, a 6’6” guard/forward, has appeared in four games for the Celtics and has averaged 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assist in 26.6 minutes per game. He posted a career-high 12 points against Brooklyn on January 26 and recorded a career-high four steals against Washington on January 22. Johnson originally signed a 10-day contract with the Celtics on January 17 after he had appeared in 20 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League where he had averaged 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 block in 37.2 minutes per game.

The Celtics are 15-31 this season, which is the fourth worst record in the league.

Here’s CSNNE reporting on the Boston Celtics, who may keep Chris Johnson around a bit longer:

Chris Johnson had one more shot to impress the Boston Celtics’ brass before his 10-day contract would be over.

And just as he has done throughout his time with the Celtics, he didn’t disappoint which is why Boston is expected to sign him to a second, 10-day contract prior to Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks.

Johnson’s contract, signed on Jan. 17, was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.

“The coaches and GMs like me. That’s a good thing,” Johnson told CSNNE.com. “I’m just going to stay after it and stay hungry.”

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have recalled center Vitor Faverani from their NBA Development League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.

Faverani, a 6’11” center, appeared in one game for the Red Claws while he was on assignment against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on January 25 and recorded 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a block in just under 26 minutes of action.

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed guard/forward Chris Johnson to a 10-day contract.

Johnson, a 6’6” guard/forward, appeared in 20 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League this season and has averaged 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 block in 37.2 minutes per game. The 14th Call-Up from the D-League this season, Johnson was shooting 47.0 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from three-point territory and 84.1 percent from the free throw line.

Johnson also has recorded the sixth highest offensive rating in the D-League this season amongst all players that have played 10 games or more with a rating of 114.6.

The former University of Dayton Flyer appeared in eight games for the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2012-13 season and averaged 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game.

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have completed a three-team deal with Golden State and Miami. The Celtics have acquired center Joel Anthony, a conditional future Philadelphia first round draft pick, Miami’s 2016 second round draft pick and cash considerations; Miami acquires guard Toney Douglas and Golden State acquires guard Jordan Crawford and guard/forward MarShon Brooks.

“It’s always difficult trading a player like Joel who was a big part of the past two championship teams and will always be a part of the Miami HEAT family,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “This trade gives us great flexibility moving forward in our journey to win an NBA Championship. Joel was a true professional who worked hard every day and we wish him the best in the future.”

Anthony, a 6’9” center, has appeared in 12 games for the Heat this season and has recorded six points, seven rebounds and four blocks in 37 minutes of action. He has posted career averages of 2.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 16.5 minutes per game. A member of Miami’s two past NBA Championship teams; he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Heat on July 3, 2007 after playing two seasons collegiately at UNLV and a season at Pensacola Junior College in Florida.

Crawford, 25, appeared in 39 games with Boston this season (35 starts), averaging 13.7 points, a career-high 5.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds per contest, leading the Celtics in assists. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week ending December 8, averaging 23.3 points on 61.0 percent shooting to go along with 6.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds over three games, including a 23-point effort against the New York Knicks on December 8 in which he connected on a career-high six three pointers. On November 29 versus Cleveland, the 6’4” guard posted his third career triple-double, registering 11 points, a career-high-tying 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He has scored 20-or-more points eight times this season, including a season-high 25-point effort on December 3 versus Milwaukee.

Originally selected by the New Jersey Nets with the 27th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Crawford owns career NBA averages of 12.9 points, 3.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 26.4 minutes over 215 games (99 starts) in four seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics. He had his finest NBA season to date in 2011-12 with Washington, averaging a career-high 14.7 points, 3.0 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 64 games, including 16.4 points per contest in 32 starting assignments.

Brooks, a 6’5” guard/forward, has appeared in 10 games for the Celtics this season and has posted averages of 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per game. He was originally drafted by the Celtics with the 25th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and was traded on draft night. He was reacquired by the Celtics in a trade with Brooklyn on July 12, 2013.

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have recalled guard/forward MarShon Brooks from the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League.

Brooks, a 6’5” guard/forward, appeared in five games for the Red Claws while on assignment including two games in the D-League Showcase in Reno where he averaged 27.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in 35.0 minutes per game. Brooks recorded a high of 36 points to go along with six rebounds, five assists, five steals and three blocks against Tulsa on January 5. He also recorded a double-double against Springfield on January 4 with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have completed a three team trade with the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder in which they acquired guard Jerryd Bayless from Memphis and forward Ryan Gomes from Oklahoma City. The Celtics sent guard Courtney Lee and a 2016 second round draft pick to the Memphis Grizzlies. In a related transaction, the Celtics have waived forward Ryan Gomes. Memphis also traded a conditional 2017 second round draft pick to Oklahoma City.

Bayless, a 6’3” guard, has appeared in 30 games for the Grizzlies this season averaging 8.0 points, 2.0 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game. The 11th overall pick in the 2008 Draft by the Indiana Pacers has a season-high of 22 points against the Celtics on November 27 when he was 6-of-10 from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line. Bayless has posted career averages of 8.2 points, 2.8 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game split between Portland, New Orleans, Toronto and Memphis. An early entry candidate into the 2008 Draft from the University of Arizona, Bayless averaged 19.7 points and 4.0 assists while earning All-Pac 10 Second Team and All-Freshman honors. He was the first freshman in Arizona history to lead the team in scoring as well as being the first freshman to win team MVP since Sean Elliot in the 1985-86 season.

Gomes, a 6’7” forward, has appeared in five games for the Thunder this season totaling six points and four rebounds in 34 minutes played. Playing in his eighth NBA season, Gomes was originally drafted by the Celtics with the 50th pick in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft. The former Providence College Friar has posted career averages of 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 487 games split between Boston, Minnesota, the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City.

Lee (6-5, 200) joins the Grizzlies with career averages of 9.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists on .446 shooting (.387 3FG shooting) in 25.9 minutes in 395 games (174 starts) with the Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics. The 28-year-old has averaged 7.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 16.8 minutes in 30 games (zero starts) with Boston this season, recording career-high shooting percentages both from three-point range (.442) and overall (.492). The Indianapolis, Ind. native scored a career-high 30 points on March 8, 2010 at Memphis as a member of the New Jersey Nets.

The six-year veteran was drafted by Orlando in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft following a successful four-year collegiate career at Western Kentucky University. Lee was named 2007-08 Sun Belt Player of the Year and earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors for three consecutive seasons (2005-08), starting in every game he played with the Hilltoppers.

Paul Pierce and the 11-21 Brooklyn Nets have not yet enjoyed the success this season that they hoped for, but Pierce did set an impressive personal milestone tonight in Brooklyn as the team hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Pierce tonight passed Allen Iverson to become the 19th leading scorer in NBA history. Iverson scored 24,368 points in his illustrious career. Pierce passed that during tonight’s game, which is ongoing.

Patrick Ewing is 18th on the NBA all-time scoring list with 24,815 total points. Jerry West is 17th with 25,192 points. Reggie Miller is 16th with 25,279.

Atop the list, with more points than anyone in NBA history is the master of the sky-hook, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 38,387 total points.

Here’s the Boston Globe blog on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, who may finally suit up and play in the near future:

Rajon Rondo said Thursday he is open to a rehabilitation stint with NBADL Maine and is getting “pretty close” after missing nearly a year following tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament.

“I’m better than last week when I talked to you guys,” he said, referring to his Dec. 22 meeting with the media. “I’m still getting my endurance but I’m getting pretty close, feeling good, feeling better. Like I said, I feel better than last week.”

Rondo, who has been traveled with the team and was cleared to practice three weeks ago, has been working out arduously to approach game shape, saying he does not want to return only to suffer another injury setback.

“A like a 12-minute quarter, straight,” he said when asked whether there is one sign that he’s ready to return. “I don’t want to go out there and get fatigued and cause another injury. I want to makes sure I’m ready to go and I’m in shape.”

The day has arrived for the Houston Rockets to live up to their vow to trade disgruntled center Omer Asik.

The Rockets have been telling teams for two weeks that they will trade Asik by Thursday, and according to sources close to the process, they gradually continued to move in that direction Wednesday.

ESPN.com reported Tuesday that the Boston Celtics had emerged as the strongest rivals to the Philadelphia 76ers in terms of Asik’s likely destination. Entering the final hours before the Rockets’ self-imposed deadline, sources said Houston officials spent much of Wednesday weighing the merits of Boston’s offer of forward Brandon Bass, guard Courtney Lee and a future first-round draft pick for the 7-footer from Turkey while also remaining engaged in talks with Philadelphia and leaving open the possibility that other teams could still join the bidding.

The Rockets, sources said, have been interested in prying veteran center Spencer Hawes away from the Sixers along with a future first-round pick, but they won’t know until Thursday whether Philadelphia is prepared to part with that much for Asik or whether Boston’s offer is the best available.

Here’s the Boston Herald on Doc Rivers, who returns to Boston as a visiting head coach tonight:

Nothing will be normal for Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers today in his return to the Garden to face the Celtics, and that unfamiliarity started when he walked into the building this morning.

“It will be strange. I’m used to going in the other doors and through the other side,” joked Rivers, who met with the media for about 15 minutes before the Pacific Division-leading Clippers prepared for their one and only trip to Boston this year. “I’m not used to having shootaround. (It’s) maybe my first shootaround ever at the Garden in the last 10 years. This is strange already.”

Rivers arrived in Boston yesterday and met with some friends for dinner before sitting down and watching the Brooklyn Nets and the Celtics kick off what is being dubbed “Reunion Week” for the Celtics with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and now Rivers all in different situations.

The Boston Celtics’ Jordan Crawford and the Portland Trail Blazers’ LaMarcus Aldridge today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 2, through Sunday, Dec. 8.

Crawford led the Celtics to the East’s lone perfect mark on the week at 3-0, behind averages of 23.3 points (fourth in the conference) on .610 shooting from the field (sixth in the conference), 6.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds. Crawford connected on 12-of-23 three-point field goals on the week, including a career-high six makes from distance on Dec. 8, during a 114-73 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Aldridge led the Trail Blazers to a 3-1 week, including wins over the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. He posted a point-rebound double-double in each of Portland’s four games, and averaged 26.3 points (third in the conference), 12.8 rebounds (fifth in the conference), 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals. On Dec. 4, Aldridge collected 38 points, 13 rebounds and five assists during a 111-104 win over the Thunder.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, Detroit’s Andre Drummond and Brandon Jennings, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Indiana’s Paul George and Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant.